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Category: Scheme best improving the Public's Health
Name: Charlotte Hilton
Job Title: Exercise Promotion Officer
Organisation: Gedling PCT
Email: charlotte.hilton@gedling.gov.uk
Telephone: 0115 901 3697
Key team: Single Post Working In Partnership With Primary And Secondary Care Practitioners And Leisure Centre Staff.
Title: Positive moves – ‘get going with Gedling’
Positives Moves replaced an out-moded scheme available to the residents of Gedling recovering from an operation or injury. The scheme needed to be modified to bring it in line with national referral standards. Increasingly health professionals wanted to refer patients into a supportive physical active environment. The main aims of Postive Moves were agreed jointly between Gedling PCT and Gedling Borough Council to:
- Encourage physical activity
- Reduce health inequalities
- Tackle disease prevention
- Enhance the quality of life of the individuals referred to the scheme.
The programme has been set up to meet the requirements of the NSF’s in mental Health, CHD, diabetes, and Older People. The programme offers patients a 12-week programme tailored to meet their needs.
It was expected that the programme would bring together local primary health care and leisure professionals and related local services such as New Leaf, community dieticians and formal cardiac rehabilitation programmes from across Nottingham. Further links have been established with local service providers for mental health and rehabilitation.
Benefits to patients include access to a supported programme of physical activity tailored to their own needs and expressed wishes. The leisure staff who support the programme have been trained in exercise referral and phase IV cardiac rehab standards. Positive contributions to the patients overall health and well being is reported – increase in activity rates, positive changes in quality of life indicators and disease stability.
The Exercise Promotion Officer post is jointly funded by Gedling Leisure Services and Gedling PCT. The initial set up period involved:
- Raising awareness of the programme via local, community and professional publicity sources.
- Establishment of a multi agency steering group
- Needs Assessment & consultation with practices using a questionnaire.
- Referral protocol developed using responses from referring agencies and practices according to national quality assurance framework.
- Leisure staff trained
- Referral pathway launched, practice enrolment staggered, and rolled out over 12months.
All practices are now signed up and are referring patients. There is a low incidence of inappropriate referrals. Strong partnership development with Gedling Borough Leisure services and the PCT established.
From the beginning this post was developed to address both the key objectives of both partners. A working relationship had already been established between both parties, the Positive Moves programme has strengthened this. The exercise promotion officer post is jointly managed by the PCT and Gedling Leisure services. Early recognition and acceptance of the different working cultures and decision-making processes in the two organisations was addressed by regular updates to both parties, and the creation of a steering group. The programme has been promoted via council and PCT publications.
- Case study – A 32 year old lady referred as being overweight (BMI 34.0) has as a direct result of her participation in the programme, reduced her weight and undertaken a gym instructors course. She has recently appeared in the national press promoting the programme.
- The project commenced with no programme funding – only the Exercise Promotion Officers salary. The programme has been successful in attracting £5,500 in additional grant applications, including developing and delivering the Move More Often programme, which is funded by the DoH and British Heart Foundation.
- The last 12 months has seen the project develop and expand, with 199 referrals received. To maintain the current level of service additional support is required. This is currently being looked at. It is expected over the next 12 months: Leisure centre staff will become BACR IV (cardiac rehab) trained. Links will be made with Phase II & IV cardiac rehab.
Positive Moves has been showcased at a number of local community events, including the East Midlands Public Health Conference. It is reported on regularly at Council cabinet and PCT board and Executive meetings. Reviews of the programme have been produced for PCT, Council, and community newsletters. An article has appeared in the Diabetes UK magazine written by a local patient. Positive Moves is aiming to produce its own newsletter for the practices and leisure centres.
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